Weekly Blog

Last night in small group, we were asked this icebreaker question: "What was the last movie you saw in theaters?" My answer, unfortunately, was Toy Story 4. I might have enjoyed it better if I'd seen Toy Stories 2 and 3. I can't even remember where I saw the first one. We don't own it. I didn't go to a theater to see it. Church movie night? Maybe. Still not sure.Two of the girls in the small group said that the last movie they'd seen was Disney's live-action remake of The Lion King.I'm mad.Not mad that I haven't seen the movie yet. Not mad that ticket prices are expensive or that I don't have time off to see a movie or anything like that. I'm just mad that this movie exists. And it's obviously not because it's a poor-quality movie. I can't judge the quality of a movie I haven't seen yet. I'm mad on a whole other level.The level of artistic integrity.Call me old-school, but I believe art is about two things: self-expression and viewer enjoyment. You make something, be it a movie or a book or a painting or a piece of jewelry, because you either feel the need to create something or because you want to get a point across. Maybe both. Also, you make whatever art you make so that other people can either enjoy your art, relate to it, or be moved to change something in their own lives.Here's one thing art is NOT about: Money.

Yes, money is nice and necessary and all that. But it's not the point of making art. Last month, I made $7.32 off Where the Clouds Catch Fire. Considering that I poured four years of my life into making this novel a reality, would I like to make more? Yes. But am I upset? No. Because when art becomes more about making money than about creating a worthwhile contribution to society, it ceases to be art.We all know that the House of Mouse is a media giant. It owns Star Wars, Marvel, the ever-popular Princess deal, and God knows what else. And we know that giant corporations don't really care about much besides making money. As much as that fact upsets me, I understand it. Money is way more important to most people than it should be.​But here's the part that really irritates me: with the endless sequels and remakes, Disney has stopped even trying to be creative. No new plots or characters. No new worlds. Just the same worlds you grew up with, revisited in a more adult-friendly way. And because you grew up with those worlds and would love to take a trip down nostalgia lane, you're going to buy a ticket and give some of your hard-earned cash to a company that really doesn't need it.Disney. Hire some homeschool graduates. Start recruiting people off Wattpad. For the love of God, do something. Unless you're making substantial changes to a plot or character, don't bother serving us leftovers. At least pretend you still care about something other than money.Readers, what do you think about the Disney remakes? Let me know in the comments below! God bless, and don't forget to check us out on Facebook!